Wednesday, October 20, 2010

I’m always on the look out for unique, tasty foods to use in my muffin tin creations. Black rice from China definitely fits the bill. Also called Forbidden Rice®, Chinese lore says that this guise of rice was reserved only for emperors in ancient China because of its ability to promote longevity and good health.

Recently, scientists at Louisiana State University Agricultural Center reported that black rice (its more like a really deep purple color) is brimming with antioxidants including the same anthocyanins found in blueberries. It’s the antioxidants that lend this rice its striking hue. This on top of all the other benefits that come with a whole grain rice such as extra fiber, vitamins and minerals.

With a rich, nutty taste and chewy texture, look for it at an increasing number of health food stores. For the recipe below, I used the black Forbidden Rice® from forward-thinking Lotus Foods. Keep in mind that this is not the same rice as black sticky rice used in Asian desserts.

These cakes are beautiful in their simplicity. Feel free to sub out the tofu for diced chicken breast. The easy to make sweet and spicy sauce really completes the dish. Make these and bring them for lunch to elicit a few “wows” at the office.

Does anyone have any other ideas for using this splendid rice in a muffin tin?

As rice cakes cook, bring rice wine and sugar to a simmer in a small saucepan and cook until sugar is dissolved. Stir in soy sauce and simmer until slightly reduced and thickened, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in chili sauce, garlic, and ginger.

oh these cakes look delicious. I would like to try it! What is black tofu? In italy I can't buy garlic chili sauce..so how I could replace it? My blog actually is only in Italian but as soon as possible i'll translate it in english!

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